A former Indian Premier League star has revealed notable details about his struggle with skin cancer in a recent Instagram post. The 31-year-old English cricketer took to his official Instagram handle on Tuesday and revealed he battled skin cancer. He also revealed how cricketers risk getting the disease and how they can prevent it.
“Last October I had a bit of a reality check, two operations to remove skin cancer off my chest put cricket on the back burner for a little while and into perspective. We all are pretty blasé when it comes to putting suncream on but it really has to change. As cricketers we’re exposed to the sun so much and we can all be more diligent. Cases have doubled over the last 20 years and will continue to double again over the next 20 years,” an excerpt from Sam Billings’ post read.
“You realise that cricket isn’t the be all and end all”
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old also spoke to The Telegraph on his battle against skin cancer, hoping players would take his lead. “It did give me the clarity of making decisions based on what I want to do rather than maybe just toeing the line and being seen to do the right thing. I have tried to do that over the years and it’s sometimes resulted in carrying drinks. You realise that cricket isn’t the be all and end all,” Billings told The Telegraph.
